Former Rochester Man Sentenced for $3.4K Trading Card Theft

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A former Rochester man accused of impersonating a vendor in order to steal thousands of dollars worth of trading cards from a Rochester business has been sentenced to probation.

Olmsted County court documents indicate that 45-year-old Joshua Allan Mueller was arrested last December. The criminal complaint alleged that Mueller, who now has a Winona address, posed as a vendor to gain access to an area of the store that was off-limits to customers.

Mueller Impersonated Vendor to Steal Cards

He was accused of entering the business carrying his own boxes and then cutting open the bottom of boxes containing trading cards, which he placed into the boxes he had brought with him. It was further alleged that Mueller then walked out of the store with the stolen merchandise.

Court documents put the value of the stolen trading cards at about $3,400.

Felony Charge Reduced to Gross Misdemeanor

Mueller was originally charged with one count of felony theft, but through a plea agreement, that charge was reduced to a gross misdemeanor. He has now been sentenced to two years of supervised probation along with 50 hours of community work service.